First Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
Activity 4 provides explicit handwriting practice for the letter Bb, including guided tracing of uppercase "B" and lowercase "b" and the words "bath" and "bed." Activity 2 asks the child to add missing first letters on the "Exploring My Home" sheet and to write or copy room names, giving opportunities to form letters in context. The skills list includes demonstrating that letters represent sounds and attempting to read dictated text, which supports letter-level work.
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
Students practice printing letters explicitly in Activity 4 where they trace and write uppercase and lowercase Mm and Hh and copy words (map, mom, home, house). In Activities 1–3 students are asked to label map items, complete scrambled words, and sound out letters as they write labels, providing additional writing practice. The student activity pages include tracing guides, dotted lines, and blank lines for writing individual letters and words.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
Students practice handwriting of the letter J (uppercase and lowercase) and the words Jeep and Jungle in Activity 4, with tracing lines and guided writing. In Option 1 students add the first and last letters for each habitat word, and in Option 2 students read habitat names from a word box and label the pictures. Activities also ask students to label animals and their food/water sources (Activity 3) and to fill in habitat labels on the graph (Activity 6).
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
Activity 3 (Handwriting) has a dedicated handwriting page for the letter Z/z with large reference letters, dashed-line traceable Z and z, words (zebra, zoo) for copying, and ruled lines for writing alignment. Students are prompted to trace and copy the uppercase Z and lowercase z and to write or copy sentences with words that begin with z.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students are asked to practice handwriting in Activity 4 by using a handwriting sheet to practice the letter I in both uppercase and lowercase and the words "it" and "inch." The Student Activity Page includes large examples of uppercase I and lowercase i, baselines with guide dots for letter formation, and lined sections for students to write and copy the letter and words. Instructions tell students to write or copy sentences that contain i words and to practice forming the letter using the provided guide lines.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
Students are asked to write the animal's name on Option 2 Page 1 and to complete short written prompts such as "The ___ is found in ___" on Page 2. Several activity pages instruct students to "label his pictures" and provide blank lines or spaces for students to write names and facts. The final project requires students to complete descriptions at the top of each page and staple pages to make a book, which involves multiple short writing tasks.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Activity 6 explicitly asks the child to practice writing the letter R and the words "rain" and "round." The Student Activity Page for handwriting provides dashed lines for tracing uppercase "R" and lowercase "r" and dotted lines to guide proper letter formation. Activity 3 and the Symmetry page display uppercase letters A, D, and O, which students fold and examine for symmetry.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students practice handwriting in Activity 4 where they explicitly practice the letter W and the words "wind" and "winter." The Handwriting student page shows uppercase and lowercase W for reference, provides dotted examples for tracing, and multiple lines for independent practice. The "Let It Snow" writing activity asks students to attempt to record their dictated story themselves and notes using lined paper with a center line as a reminder for sizing capital and lowercase letters.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are asked to write the beginning letter of words or to copy whole words in the "A Summer Story" activity (Options 1 and 2), providing practice forming letters as part of filling blanks. Students are asked to write the season's name or its beginning letter beneath the temperature continuum and to complete sentences by writing season names on the "Changes in Weather" page. Students are encouraged to copy words in the advanced option and to write first letters when full copying is not attempted.
Final Project
Weather Games
Students are asked to write the name of the season above each picture in Activity 1 and may cut and glue printed season names, giving opportunities to form letters. The Skills section explicitly lists 'Use new vocabulary in speech and writing,' and Activities 2 and 4 ask students to read and record words on the Weather Memory and Weather Forecast pages. Students are asked to record the current temperature on a weather calendar and to write answers to the guided forecast questions over multiple days.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
A dedicated Handwriting activity gives students guided tracing and practice lines for the letter P in both capital "P" and lowercase "p," including dotted guides and practice words (People, Park). Option 1 and Option 2 vocabulary activities require students to copy or fill in community words, asking students to write words into sentence blanks. Activity 3 asks students to draw a page and write or dictate a sentence about a place in their community, offering additional opportunities to print letters in context.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
Students are asked to label places on a poster and to write or dictate a brief description of how each place serves the community, which requires producing written letters. Activity 3 asks students to copy the title of each selected book, an action that involves printing letters. The student activity page includes tracing a path on the map, which provides fine motor practice that can support handwriting.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
The lesson explicitly lists the skill "Recognize and name upper- and lower-case letters (LA)." In Activity 1 students circle the first and last letters of words and name and sound out each letter. In Activities 2, 4, and 5 students are asked to write names, attempt to record their own ideas, and copy or attempt to write sentences, giving opportunities to form letters while writing words and sentences.
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
Students are asked to label drawings in Option 2 ("Label each picture as your child explains what is happening"). In Activity 3, students write the name of each family member beneath a pasted photo or drawing and may attempt to record observations independently. The Student Activity Pages include blank rectangular spaces for writing or drawing, and the Life Application asks an adult to "write her name on" the Good Citizenship Badge.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Students engage in handwriting practice focused on the letter Cc (Activity 7), including dotted examples of uppercase "C" and lowercase "c" to trace. Students have practice lines to write or copy the words "care" and "citizen" and may write or copy sentences containing C words. The student activity page provides guided tracing and production specifically for the letter C in both forms.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Students are asked in Activity 4 to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper that describes an object, and if they cannot write a sentence they are instructed to continue practicing letters instead. In Activity 3 Option 1 students circle the first letter in each describing word and copy the words beneath pictures, and in Option 2 students write words beneath pictures and think of additional descriptive words to write. The Skills section includes using descriptive words in writing, which implies letter and word-level writing practice.
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
Students practice handwriting on the page titled "Aa," where they trace and/or copy uppercase A and lowercase a and the words "animal" and "ant." The handwriting page shows both the letter forms (A and a) for tracing and provides repeated practice with the letter A in words and possibly in a sentence.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence about an object's texture on handwriting paper, which requires forming letters. Option 1 directs students to circle the beginning letter of each word and to copy texture words beneath pictures. Option 2 has students record words from a list and generate a new describing word, which involves writing letters. The Skills section explicitly lists "Recognize and name letters."
Lesson 5
How Old?
Students practice letter formation on a dedicated handwriting page for the letter Oo, tracing and writing both uppercase O and lowercase o. Students are asked to record names and are reminded that names begin with capital letters, with encouragement to write at least the first letter of each name. Students are instructed to start written questions with a capital letter and to write question marks, giving additional opportunities to use capitals in context.
Lesson 6
The Measure of Things
Activity 6 explicitly directs students to practice handwriting the letters "Ll" and to write/copy a sentence using words that begin with that letter. The Student Activity Page for handwriting provides guided lines, arrows indicating stroke direction, and examples of the words "length" and "long" to model letter formation. The activity asks students to practice both the lowercase l and uppercase L, reinforcing correct letter formation for that specific letter.
Lesson 7
More Attributes
Activity 5 (Handwriting) directs students to practice writing on the letter "Vv" sheet and to use the word "Venn" in a sentence. The Student Activity Page explicitly shows tracing and freewriting practice for the uppercase and lowercase letter V and the word "Venn," including dotted-letter tracing lines and space for independent writing. The page includes visual Venn diagrams alongside the handwriting practice to reinforce the target letter and word.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students copy each word from the Senses Word List three times on handwriting paper (Activity 1). Students are asked to write or copy a sentence about a sense and sense organ on handwriting paper (Activity 4). In Activity 2 (Option 2) students may write words on the webs instead of cutting and pasting, and in Activity 3 (Option 2) students dictate four sentences that are then recorded on the provided lines, giving additional writing practice. Students are also asked to identify beginning letters of the author's name and of important words while reading the book.
Lesson 2
Senses and Body Parts
Activity 4 (Handwriting) asks students to practice the letter S and includes rows with uppercase 'S' and lowercase 's' printed with dotted lines for tracing. The activity page also has the words 'sense' and 'see' printed for tracing and asks students to use each word in a sentence, and a large 'Ss' is highlighted to emphasize the letter. These elements directly engage students in forming both an uppercase and a lowercase version of the letter S.
Lesson 3
Smelling and Tasting
Students are asked in Activity 1 to record their guesses when tasting and smelling items. In Activity 2 students record names and Y/N responses on a survey chart, and Activity 3 has students label four columns (sweet, bitter, sour, salty) on a taste chart. Activity 4 explicitly asks students to write a sentence on handwriting paper about the results of the survey.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students practice handwriting in Activity 8, which asks them to practice the letter E and to write the words eyes and ears in a sentence. The Student Activity Page for the letter E includes tracing and writing practice for uppercase "E" and lowercase "e," dotted guide lines, and starting-point indicators for correct letter formation. The lesson repeatedly asks students to attempt to read and write descriptions in other activities, providing occasional opportunities to write words related to the senses.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
The lesson's Skills list includes "Recognize and write letters (LA)." In Activity 2 students are asked to read spice labels and copy the name of each spice onto index cards or write the first letter if they cannot write the whole name. In Activity 4 students are asked to write or dictate and copy a sentence on handwriting paper about something they smelled or tasted.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Write letters of the alphabet (LA)." Activity 4 (Handwriting) asks students to write or dictate and copy a sentence on handwriting paper, giving direct practice with letter formation. Activity 2 (A Sensible Report) prompts students to attempt to write words and to record initial letters, which requires students to produce individual letters.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Activity 4 provides a handwriting worksheet where students trace and practice the uppercase and lowercase letter U (Uu) and the word "unique," with dotted guides and freehand practice lines. Activity 1 asks students to write answers to personal questions and to "sound out the words for his answers" and write the letters he hears, encouraging letter formation in their own writing. Several activities require students to fill in blanks and write short sentences (e.g., recording numbers with a sentence), giving additional opportunities to form letters by hand.
Lesson 2
Physical Characteristics
Activity 4 directs the child to write a sentence on handwriting paper ("I have _________."), which requires forming letters. Activity 3 (Friendship Story) includes lined sections where students can record or write one sentence for the beginning, middle, and end, giving additional opportunities to form letters in connected writing.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students practice handwriting of the letter Q and q in Activity 4, including tracing the word "quiet," individual lowercase q letters, and varied-size letter practice with lined spaces for guided writing. Students are also asked to write their name, a friend's name, and personality words in Activity 2 and to write or use the word "quiet" in a sentence, providing additional opportunities to form letters in print.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Activity 4 gives explicit handwriting practice for the letter Y in both uppercase and lowercase with tracing lines and repeated writing, and includes practice words "you" and "yes." Activity 1 asks students to dictate and then copy or write a few sentences describing a hobby, providing practice in letter formation during sentence writing. The Hobby Survey and My Interest pages require students to write their name and short responses on blank lines, offering additional opportunities to print letters in context.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper that describes an interest or personality trait (Activity 4). Students can fill in the "What Is Your Shape?" worksheet with name, shape, color, physical characteristic, personality trait, hobby, and interest, and are encouraged to record their ideas and attempt to read their descriptions (Activity 2 and Student Activity Page). Students are asked to point to the title and sound out the letters on the book cover, which involves letter awareness (Activity 1).
Lesson 6
Different Families
Activity 3 explicitly asks students to practice the letter Dd and the word "different," providing tracing lines, dotted guides, and a large visual example of upper- and lowercase D/d. The handwriting page includes repeated tracing of the word "different," individual letters for tracing (d and c), and horizontal/dotted lines to guide letter formation. The Skills list includes "Attempt to write words and sentences using inventive spelling," which indicates students will practice writing letters within words and simple sentences.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
Students are asked to write three sentences about their favorite holiday (Activity 3) and may copy dictated sentences, providing practice with writing letters. In Activity 5 students are instructed to write the name of each holiday, a sentence about the holiday, and the book cover title, offering additional opportunities to form letters. The skills list includes 'Use new vocabulary in conversation and writing' and 'Represent spoken language with temporary spelling,' which implies written work.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper in Activity 4, providing direct practice with letter formation. In Activity 1 (Option 2) and Activity 2 (Option 2) students must write entire labels or write the mode of transportation for each scenario, which requires forming multiple letters. In Activity 1 (Option 1) students are prompted to fill in the first letter for each label, which gives focused practice on individual letter shapes.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
Activity 6 explicitly has students practice handwriting for the letter Nn, showing both uppercase 'N' and lowercase 'n' with lined tracing and writing spaces. The page includes the word "need" for students to trace/write and shows images alongside the letter models, indicating guided practice in forming N and n.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Students practice handwriting in Activity 4 where they trace and copy the uppercase and lowercase forms of Gg and Xx. The handwriting pages include dotted-letter tracing, guided lines, and words ('get', 'group', 'extra') for copying. The materials ask students to use the sheets provided to practice forming those letters and to use each word in a sentence.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 2
Recognizing Types of Patterns
Students are asked to punch out and place letter A's and B's and to label objects A and B, and there are boxes beneath pictures where they can record those letters. The lesson instructs students to write a letter on each strip to check answers (e.g., write A for yellow and B for green). Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper, providing some practice in letter formation within connected text.
Lesson 3
What Comes Next?
Activity 4 (Handwriting) directs the child to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper: "What do you see after the ________?", which requires forming letters when writing. In Options 1 and 2, students label items they added to patterns with A, B, or C, requiring them to print uppercase letters as they identify pattern elements.
Lesson 4
Extending a Pattern
Activity 4 asks the child to copy or write a sentence on handwriting paper about a pattern, providing direct practice in forming letters. Option 2 explicitly asks the child to write the names of the objects used for patterns on a separate sheet of paper. The Student Activity Page includes fill-in-the-blank prompts where students would write object names to describe each pattern.
Lesson 5
Making Color Patterns
Activity 1 asks the child to write the first letter of color words (e.g., Y, R, Y, R) to show a pattern, and Activity 3 asks the child to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper describing something she created. The materials instruct the child to use color words or letters to represent patterns and to produce written responses that describe pattern work.
Lesson 6
Shapes and Patterns
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about a pattern (Activity 3), which requires letter formation. Students are also instructed to practice writing the words "shape," "color," and "size" with a modeled example, providing targeted letter- and word-level handwriting practice. The activities repeatedly prompt students to write as part of describing and labeling patterns throughout the lesson.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
Activity 4 asks the child to "write or copy a sentence from today's reading on handwriting paper," and Activity 3 asks the child to "label" drawings of patterns. These tasks require students to form letters and produce written words, providing direct opportunities for handwriting practice.
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
Students are asked to write a sentence describing the plant's growth under each drawing on the "A Plant's Pattern of Growth" activity page, providing practice with letter formation in context. Activity 6 explicitly has students write each of three words (plant, grow, part) five times and copy modeled writing, giving direct handwriting practice. Activity 2 asks students to identify initial letters or record the first letter of each plant part on a diagram, prompting students to produce individual letters.
Lesson 3
Night and Day
The Skills section explicitly lists "Write letters of the alphabet (LA)" and "Write from left to right (LA)," indicating student letter-writing practice. Activity 1 asks the child to label three pictures of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, which requires students to write letter strings. Activity 3 provides paper with three lines and directs the child to "record or dictate a few sentences" about daytime and nighttime activities, offering additional opportunities for students to write letters and words.
Lesson 4
Daily Routines
Students are asked to write or dictate and copy a sentence on handwriting paper in Activity 4, providing an opportunity to practice letter formation. In Activity 2 students can dictate or write a sentence for each of four steps, and Activity 3 asks students to record activities in words (and times), giving additional writing practice. The activity sheets include labeled pictures (e.g., "get dressed," "brush teeth") that require reading or producing printed words.
Lesson 6
Seasonal Weather Patterns
Students are asked to write today's date and to copy the months of the year on handwriting paper, providing direct practice forming letters. Students fill in missing season names and complete fill-in-the-blank season/month exercises on activity pages, which requires printing letter strings (e.g., month and season names). Activity prompts ask students to record weather words beneath seasons and to fill in words from a word box, giving additional opportunities to write words by hand.
Final Project
Patterns All Around Lapbook
Students are prompted to write titles and labels on their mini-books, for example writing "Symmetrical Pattern" on the one-page book cover, "Pattern in Nature" on the matchbook, and "Patterns" on the lapbook cover. Students are asked to write the days of the week on the fan book and to label stages (baby, child, adult; seed, plant, flower) on the three-flap book. The Skills list explicitly includes "Write capital and lowercase letters," and several activities require students to write and label illustrations (seasons, stages, days).
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
Activity 4 asks the child to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about his favorite season, which requires producing letters in written form. Activity 1 also asks the child to "illustrate or write two sentences" about a time when weather caused a change, providing additional opportunities to form letters. These tasks implicitly require students to use capital letters (sentence starts) and lowercase letters within words while composing sentences.
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are asked to write words from a word box or cut and glue them, and Option 2 asks students to write an entire prepositional phrase after the subject. The activity prompts students to "write simple sentence[s] describing the mouse's location" and to write "Where Did He Go?" on the paper plate. Several tasks require students to record three or four sentences describing object relationships.
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
Activity 4 (Handwriting) instructs the child to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper that describes how something changes in size. The handwriting task requires students to form letters as they compose or copy the sentence. The materials reference handwriting paper, implying practice in letter formation within connected text.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students are asked to draw and label the three bowls "ice," "water," and "steam," providing practice writing words (Activity 1 and the Student Activity Page). Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence about an observation on handwriting paper, giving them practice with writing letters in sentence form. The candle activity also requires students to record measurements and labels (paper clips, inches) on a data sheet, which involves writing words and numbers.
Final Project
Mobile of Change
The skills list includes "Write most letters and some words (LA)," indicating students will practice letter formation. The final project explicitly asks the child to write the word "CHANGES" in all capital letters on construction paper. Students are also prompted to use new vocabulary in writing and to write or label examples in the before/after boxes, providing some opportunities to write letters and words.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Students rewrite sentences to correct capitalization of names in Activity 1 (e.g., changing "chrysanthemum loved her name." to use a capital C). Students write one letter of their name on each petal in the Name Craft (Activity 2), producing individual letters. The wrap-up and facts explicitly remind students that names always begin with capital letters.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students are asked in Activity 1 to copy two sentences containing the word "I" onto blank paper and underline the word "I," which requires writing letters. The Vocabulary activity directs students to "Write the letter of the correct definition on the line before the sentence," so students write uppercase letters (A–F). Several activity pages (Story Elements, Characters Change) prompt students to fill in words or short phrases, requiring them to form letters when completing the pages.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 3
Communities Change
Activity 7 asks students to write a sentence about The House on Maple Street on handwriting paper or to copy a dictated sentence, giving students an opportunity to produce written letters. The skills list includes using pictures to support written and spoken language, and several activities ask students to label, number, or write short captions when ordering events or drawing artifacts. Students also draw and then write two things they would have used/owned during a past time period, which involves producing printed letters.
Lesson 4
Past and Present
Students are asked in Activity 8 to write a sentence on handwriting paper (or dictate and then copy it), which requires producing printed letters. Multiple student pages provide lines and short written-response prompts (e.g., "One thing the young person did is") that require students to write and form letters. Timeline labels and fill-in grid cells also require students to produce printed text when completing the activities.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students are asked in Activity 4 to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about a change in their life, which requires producing printed letters. Multiple activity pages (fill-in-the-blank prompts, response lines for scenarios, and a dictated description in Activity 3) require students to write or record their ideas, providing additional opportunities to form letters. The skills list includes "Use new vocabulary in speech and writing," indicating written practice is expected throughout the lesson.
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Activity 4: Handwriting asks the child to "write a sentence on handwriting paper about a historical person she learned about today," which requires students to form letters when producing a sentence. Activity 3 also asks to "write down her ideas" for making a positive change, giving additional opportunities for writing by hand.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students practice writing letters by tracing two of each letter and then writing them independently on the "Writing Letters" page (examples show a, f, m, s, c, p, t). Students use lowercase letter cards to build and spell words (e.g., sat, cap, map, tap, sap) and are instructed to say the sound of each letter as they write it. The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet," and multiple activities have students point to and identify letters in printed text and on cards.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
The lesson's Skills list explicitly states that students "Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Activity 4.1 has students trace two of each target letter and then write four more of each letter, and multiple activities ask students to point to letters, say their names, and produce letter sounds using letter cards. Several student pages and writing activities require students to write words and identify beginning and ending letters of pictured words.
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Multiple activities ask students to trace and independently write letters (Activity 3.1 Writing Letters, Part 1; Activity 4.1 Writing Letters, Part 2) and to form letters using a tactile medium (Activity 2.3 Making Letters, Saying Sounds). Students also write words (Activity 5.1) using the letters they've practiced.
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
The skills list includes "Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet," indicating student work with letter case. Activity 4.1 has students trace two of each target letter and complete additional writing practice while saying the sound, and the Writing Letters pages provide tracing and independent writing lines for the week's letters (q, x, y, z and examples like e). Multiple activities require students to write words (Activity 5.1 Writing Words; Writing Words pages) and to trace and write letters as part of building words and sentences.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Activity 1.2 has students place uppercase letters below their lowercase partners and then trace and write letters on multiple "Writing Uppercase Letters" pages (A–H, M–Q, etc.). The lesson includes multiple tracing/writing pages for sight words and word items (e.g., "you," "and," "she," "was," "of," "the," "are," "on") so students trace and write lowercase letters within words. The Skills list explicitly states students will "Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters," and activities ask students to sort and arrange lowercase letter cards in alphabetical order.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
The lesson's skills list includes "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Students are asked to write digraph headings and words on a laminated writing sheet (Activities 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 4.2) and to complete sentence dictation on handwriting paper (Activity 5.3). Activity instructions explicitly remind students that sentences begin with uppercase letters and to leave spaces between words.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are asked to write words on laminated writing sheets, complete "Writing Words" pages by saying sounds and writing the words, and copy words such as "skip," "smack," and "slam." The activities provide lowercase letter cards for students to use when spelling and building words, and handwriting paper is used for sentence dictation where students write full sentences. The lesson's Skills section explicitly lists that students should "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet."
Lesson 9
Blends with l
The Skills list explicitly states that students will "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Students are asked to write dictated words on a laminated writing sheet and to write full sentences on handwriting paper, which requires forming upper- and lowercase letters. Activities remind students that sentences must start with an uppercase letter and have students use lowercase letter cards to build words, practicing use of lowercase letters in spelling tasks.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
The skills list explicitly states that students will "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Students use lowercase letter cards during Word Building activities (Day 2 and Day 3) to create words, and they complete multiple "Writing Words" and "Writing Sight Words" pages where they trace and write words on handwriting lines. The sight-word page includes traceable versions of "by," "from," and "one," so students practice letter formation in the context of words.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
The Skills list explicitly states students should "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Students are given lowercase letter cards and asked to spell words with those letter cards across multiple activities. Students write words and sentences on laminated writing sheets and handwriting paper (e.g., writing FLOSS words, dictation sentences, and "The bugs buzz." with an uppercase first letter).
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students are asked to write words on a laminated writing sheet (Activity 1.3, Activity 4.2) and to write sentences on handwriting paper during sentence dictation (Activity 5.3). The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet." The lesson includes handwriting practice materials (a laminated writing sheet and a handwriting practice image) and reminders about using uppercase letters at the beginning of sentences (Activity 5.2).
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students write on handwriting paper during sentence dictation (Activity 5.1) and write/trace sight words on the "Writing Sight Words" pages (Activity 4.1). Students also write words from the Alphabet Soup activity (Activity 4.4) and spell/dictate words on a laminated writing sheet (Activity 3.1), which requires forming letters. The skills list explicitly includes that students "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet," indicating letter-level focus in the lesson.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
The Skills list explicitly states students will "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet." Students are asked to write words and sentences on handwriting paper (Activity 3.2, Activity 4.1/My Own Reader) and to write specific words on a laminated writing sheet (Activity 2.3), which requires forming letters. Activities use lowercase letter cards for word building (Activity 1.2, Activity 3.1), and students are asked to write their name and book title on the cover of their reader (Activity 4.2), implying use of upper- and lowercase letters.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell and build words (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 4.1). Students write individual words on a laminated writing sheet and complete a spelling test by writing words (Activity 4.3). Students write dictated sentences on handwriting paper (Day 5, Activity 5.3), and the lesson asks about capitalization (e.g., why "Mike" is capitalized).
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students write words on the "Writing oa Words" pages and complete handwriting practice when they label pictures (Activity 3.1). Students write dictated sentences on handwriting paper during Sentence Dictation (Activity 5.2) and complete a Spelling Test where they must write long-o words (Activity 4.3). Students manipulate lowercase letter cards to spell and build words and to unscramble letters, and they write words produced from those activities (Activities 2.2 and Word Scramble).
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students spell and write words using lowercase letter cards and a laminated writing sheet (Activity 1.2, Activity 2.1, Activity 3.1). Students write dictated sentences on handwriting paper and complete a spelling test by writing words (Activity 3.1 Spelling Test; Day 5 Sentence Dictation). The lesson reminds students to think about how sentences begin and end, which implies attention to sentence-initial capitalization and end punctuation (Activity 3.1; Day 5 Sentence Dictation).
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students practice letter formation when they write words and sentences across multiple activities: the handwriting practice page where they copy "soil" and "coat" on lines with a dotted midline, the sentence dictation activity that asks them to write full sentences and reminds them that words beginning with an uppercase letter should start sentences, and the spelling test and word-building activities that require the child to write and spell words on a laminated writing sheet and in columns.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell and build words (Activities 3.1, 4.1) and complete multiple handwriting practice pages that include dashed guidelines for writing specific words (student activity pages for 'town' and 'round'). Students write dictated sentences and sight words on a laminated writing sheet and handwriting paper (Activity 3.3, Day 5 sentence dictation). Students manipulate letters in the 'Alphabet Soup' activities to form and write words, reinforcing letter formation in context.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students practice letter formation and writing when they copy this week's sight words on a laminated writing sheet and write dictated sentences on handwriting paper, with a reminder to pay attention to how sentences begin and end. Students use lowercase letter cards during multiple word-building activities (oo and ea word building) to spell and assemble words. Students also manipulate letters physically (cutting, sorting, and gluing word cards) which requires recognition and use of lowercase letters in written tasks.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students copy and write word lists (e.g., knee, kneel, knife, know, knit, knob; knock, knot, gnat, gnaw, gnash, gnome) on the Writing Words pages and Student Activity Pages. Students write sight words (where, just, know, after; very, write, little, down) on dedicated handwriting lines and complete sentence dictation on handwriting paper, attending to how sentences begin and end. Students also use laminated writing sheets to read and then write words (know, write, gnome, etc.) and participate in word-building activities that require forming letters to spell words.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students write words and sentences on handwriting paper with dotted guidelines in the Sentence Writing and Alphabet Soup activities, producing words from letter sets and composing one-or-two sentence responses to pictures. Students are asked to spell and write at least 12 words using letters and letter-pair cards and to glue sorted words onto pages, which requires forming letters in written words. Students also use lowercase letter cards to build words, reinforcing letter shapes and letter-to-letter sequencing.